Written by Dr Atheer Awad

Healthcare 4.0

With the advent of novel digital technologies, healthcare is entering a new era of personalised and preventative medicine, where new digital care modalities are being adopted. From sensors and 3D printers all the way to robots and drones, digital devices are revamping current healthcare systems, allowing professionals to provide timely and appropriate medical care while patients are in the comfort of their own home.

Imagine a world where healthcare is accessible by everyone, everywhere, all the time. While sitting in your living room or drinking your morning coffee, your physician is checking on your current health status, including your blood pressure, stress levels and perhaps even your risk of catching a cold today. They then send your personalised prescription to the nearest manufacturing facility, where a 3D printer is used to print the required medicine just for you. A robot then packs your medicines and securely attaches them onto a drone which then delivers them to your doorstep in as little as a few minutes. Whilst to some this might sound like something taken straight out of Star Trek, all these technologies are being widely explored and applied in the healthcare sector today. Thus, the future may be closer than it appears.

Our review

Our paper summaries the most auspicious technologies within healthcare, highlighting their benefits, shortcomings, and scopes for clinical implementation.

Read our open access review article here.